Here comes October …. a time of transition. Our summertime species start leaving, the waters are less crowded and fish are very active.
Speckled trout anglers are catching some quality fish. Long Bay Pointe Bait and Tackle reports speckled trout and puppy drum biting inside Lynnhaven Inlet, and Captain Jake Beck found a mix of specks and redfish inside Rudee Inlet as well. The previous two mild winters have helped the speckled trout increase in both size and numbers. They have rebounded tremendously since the season closure a few years back. Some really big fish are coming to the scales.
Inshore, cobia are on the move. The capture season ended September 30.
Captain Jake Beckof Knot Wish’n Charters took advantage of a weather window recently and was rewarded with some nice Spanish mackerel. On a recent trip to the CBBT area, Dr Ken Neill and crew caught sheepshead, tautog and several nice puppy drum.
There are still large red drum around, but catches have slowed in the bay. The big drum will now be feeding in the surf along Sandbridge and along the wildlife refuge, especially when it’s rough. Flounder fishing in the Bay has been slow. Pier anglers on the Virginia Beach Pier are catching puppy drum, trout, some spot, pompano, small croakers and small flounder.
When the weather cooperates, it’s a great time of the year to be on the water offshore. Lately, large swells from offshore storms have made ocean inlets in Virginia and North Carolina challenging, but things are improving and those venturing out to the deep are catching sea bass, tilefish, swordfish, blue and white marlin, wahoo, dolphin and tuna, especially blackfin tuna. Captain David Wright, High Hopes Charters picked up dolphin and tuna on a recent outing. Boats fishing the triangle wrecks are limiting out in short order on sea bass.
Dr. Ken Neill met Nicholas Kontodiakos at Rudee Inlet recently to certify a potentially new Virginia state record, 579 pound swordfish.
The Rudee Tours head boats have offshore 17-hour fishing trips planned for October 6, 13, 20, 27 and 12-hour sea bass trips starting in November on Saturdays. They also have inshore ½ and full day trips.
OBX
The Carolina flounder season ended Wednesday, Sept. 30, but the trout and puppy continue to bite back in the sound and inlets. Anglers on the Manteo Bridge are pulling in puppies and trout – the afternoon bite is best. Piers have been producing sea mullet, red and black drum, croakers and a few pompano. Spanish and Fat Alberts are biting along the coast. On Tuesday, the offshore fleet enjoyed a strong black fin tuna bite with a few Wahoo in the mix. High seas on Wednesday and Thursday shut things down.. Hatteras Island reported pompano, nice size bluefish and sea mullet all caught on cut bait at the Cape. Avon also reported nice bluefish.
Freshwater
On the freshwater scene, all eyes are on the crappie fishing. The speckles are moving closer to shore and they’re hungry. Some are on bridge pilings, others are on brush and many are clinging to boat docks.
Bass are at various depths – some shallow, some a little deeper, depending on the food and temperatures. The fish in the rivers are almost always shallow to take advantage of shoreline bait.
Striper fishing statewide is picking up. At Anna, stripers are moving up lake following the bait. Stripers at Smith Mountain are pushing bait back into inlets and the creek mouths.
Farm ponds are at their peak – right now!